Gulf Coast - TX

5-Day Outlook as of 5/12/25

"KIll switch" law in effect for boat operators at faster than headway speeds NOTE: NEW TPW trout regs with 3 fish per day, in 15" to 20" slot with one of those allowed over 28" kicks in 9 1 2024.....and please don't KILL a >20 " to > 30" female trout, that is PRIME spawning DNA!!) as we recover from bad 2/21 Freeze please CP & R any trout over 21 " ( they are typically breeding females with GOOD DNA!) NOTE: Proposal to permanently close Ayres, Mesquite and Carlos Bays to oyster harvest PASSED unanimously with TPW commissioners Nov. 3rd 2022!! 2024 is the year of OYSTER comeback, see CCA and FlatsWorthy for conservation updates and plans to restore these load bearing reefs taken down by oyster OVER harvest and move towards mariculture and floating "reefs" PLEASE support restraunts that serve oysters from oyster mariculture farms that offer FARM raised oysters only. the hunt / harvest for "WILD" oysters (Coastal strip mining) is threatening the health of our Texas coastal fisheries, please support TOMA members!! CCA Babes on the Bay Tournament this week, May 17 and 18th late weekend N winds move back to strong SE winds to >20 mid week some clouds but steady sun and SE winds to > 15 all next week Tides normal to above normal with SE winds and early week's Full Moon reports of single Jackfish on bigwater edges Shirmp channel, Lydia Ann and Morris &Cummings cut, add a 10wt, with a large topwater to your tackle, on the rod rack where you can get to it QUICKLY! , water temps move to wet-wadeable high 70*s fishing good to singles and pods / large schools good mid-day before cloud and mote tide coming in, with wtd dark / purple flies in skinny water Singles taking small topwaters (cork, hair, foam) with gusto as water temps rebound to high 70*s reds coming slowly to flies now tailing / podding up on small brown shrimp and sheepshead minnows try small hair bugs / gurglers/ or poppers for neat eats (or Misses!) and move to smaller if they get picky olive, black ,purple and small tan shrimp patterns on these fish and singles . , Dark green crabs on reds too Fishing slow on edges, grass flats and lake's draining creeks later in day, try topwaters at warmest part of late day,drifting edges and grass flats in less than 3' of water check Port Aransas and Rockport edge flats /ICWW and channel edges on high-sun, mid-week walks for reds on tan toads, grizzly seaducers / "roadkills" and kwans (#2) working well on sight casting to reds, Blind cast early and late to drop offs to deeper water (3') before moving in shallow to sight-casting mode after 0800 w/ tan, slow sinking flies on first half of cloudy mornings gurglers and small deer hair flies may work later in day with laid up or crawling shallow water fish . consider wading to lower profile going thru shallow lakes and skinny flats.... consider 10' to 12' tapered leaders w/ 12# to 16# fluoro tippet in clear water.. poling from deck, will lower your early AM profile and shadows. PLEASE limit your kill of gamefish in 2025 especially larger trout ( with trout over 20" to 27.999" per new regs on 3/26/24 must be released, almost ALL are females!!) Check new regs for 2024 -2025 trout a number of 2024-25 " kill" tournaments have turned into Catch, Photo,& Release..THANK YOU CCA Texas!! please gently release large female trout (Males of trout & drum "Grunt/ drum" when held), and most trout over 21" are females) fish have been finicky with good anglers grinding out a dozen fish with many refusals. try black / purple on picky reds. PLEASE avoid running shorelines to find fish...,if you ease in and drift out of flats, there will be fish there most of the time in more places PLEASE don't BURN shorelines to kick up fish, or take skinny water shortcuts to " just to look" , even as you're heading home,, running shallow water on the ride back home just to "see if they WERE there too?" on the ride home is BAD form, don't teach it to others. and boating newbies... FLATSWORTHY 2nd Annual Gala ROCKPORT MAY 31st Rockport Art Center, Tickets available on line!! See you there!! . try tan, olive, and black crab, Seaducers, Clousers sizes 4, 2 and 1 and go to all grizzly "roadkills" for picky fish...cover water with baitfish patters to 2/o with or w/o weight on low water near drop offs and ICWW.. check ICWW edges late for fish crawling up to warm up and eat on low barge traffic days The ANWRefuge will be CLOSED to inland lakes boat traffic and closes annually with the whooping cranes arriving here 10/15 to April 15, 2025 Avoid kicking up these bird whether poling, wading or running please give them plenty of R O O M !! reports have many birds already headed North for the Summer although a few stragglers were seen last week....

Current Conditions as of 5/12/25